Bittersweet
by Kazaguruma
Summary: Oneshot. Harry Potter meddles in the life of a young vampire, named Draco. Severus Snape can only watch. Salazar!Harry. No slash!


Heey guys! Happy (late) Holidays! This has been sitting on my computer for almost two years, waiting to have a story written around it, but I still haven't started this. So I thought, since I haven't posted anything lately, why not post this? It isn't exactly great work, but oh well...

There's quite a bit of history behind this one, but all you need to know is this. Harry Potter was bitten by a vampire and sent into the Founder's past, where he became Salazar Slytherin. He made his own coven, which Edgar is a part of. Years later, he returns to Howarts to deal with Tom Riddle.

Please keep in mind that English is not my first language and that this hasn't been beta'd. Sorry. Hope you enjoy!

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Draco's Family

Harry studied the whispering students. They were all staring at the man who had entered the Great Hall just moments ago. That man, a vampire, was definitely uncomfortable under all these pairs of eyes. Harry realized with amusement that his eyes were looking around rapidly, searching for someone. To the humans around he radiated calmness and power, but to Harry it was painfully obvious the man was nervous. It confirmed his suspicions.

The vampire stood straight, his head held high. His clothes were black, without an insignia. Either the vampire was a born rogue, or he had turned his back on his family. It didn't really matter, but it _would_ make it easier for what Harry had to do.

"Good evening, stranger. I bid you welcome." Dumbledore had spoken. Harry shook his head. That man wasn't afraid of anyone. "May I ask what brought you to our humble school?"

Black eyes drifted to blue twinkling ones. The vampire frowned disdainfully.

"Since you have already done so, I might as well answer. You might recognize this raven as a messenger bird. Someone sent her for me and she led me here."

Dumbledore looked thoughtfully at the raven the vampire was carrying on his arm. Harry idly wondered if the headmaster might actually recognize the bird as a messenger bird. There had been vampires fighting in the war for and against Voldemort. Maybe he should have sent the bird under an illusion.

"It certainly wasn't me, my boy. Are you sure there is no misunderstanding? Ravens aren't used for sending messages nowadays." It was as if Dumbledore knew the man was older than he looked to humans. Had the man recognized him as a vampire?

"Why don't we discuss this in my office? If you want, you can use one of the rooms of the castle to rest, after that." So he hadn't realized their new guest was a vampire. "I am sure you have come a long way. You must be very tired."

Ah, so Dumbledore was using flattery. Then he _had_ realized the power their guest held. And by the looks on the faces of the professors, Harry could tell they had seen it to.

Either the vampire saw the old man for what he was, or he was just plain arrogant. Harry guessed the latter, as the man sneered at Dumbledore. Harry decided to step in, when the vampire began to show his frustration and anger.

"Now, now, Gillianor," he spoke from the Gryffindor table. He didn't fail to notice the gasp from the Slytherin table. "Calm down. I was the one who sent Corran to you." Harry stood from the table and found Gillianor directly in front of him. Corran let out a hoarse and indignant croak at the sudden movement.

Harry stared the man directly in his eyes. He knew he was risking exposure to Dumbledore, but he could not back down. He would not be looked down on by his own people.

"Where'd you get the ring," Gillianor demanded, pointing at the green ring Corran was wearing on her claw. Harry frowned and turned to the staff table.

"Please excuse us, Headmaster. We have a lot to talk about." Dumbledore looked puzzled.

"Of course, my boy. I insist you take one of the staff with you, though. I mean no offence." The last part was aimed at Gillianor. "We just like to be careful." Harry almost rolled his eyes. Yes, we like to be careful. But when a stranger enters Hogwarts, we welcome him and calm the magic prepared to attack him down. Very stupid.

Thankfully Gillianor didn't answer.

Dumbledore gestured for Snape to stand up, and the Potions Master did so. Harry smirked inwardly. If there was one person who would never talk about what would happen to the Headmaster, it was Snape.

"You may use my office, if you want." Now the man was getting annoying.

"Thank you, professor, but I already have the perfect place in mind." With that, he nodded and turned around, walking to the doors of the Great Hall. When he passed the Head Boy, he spoke softly. "You may come too."

Harry led them through almost the entire castle. His destination was the Astronomy Tower. Unlike popular believe, the Slytherin Common Room was housed there. But thanks to a problem with the wards, the children had had to move to the dungeons for temporary rooms.

That was just before his leaving the school. And the other Founders never knew the password to the room.

The vampire Lord knew what was going on behind his back. He could practically feel the questioning stares from Severus Snape and Gillianor, when they weren't glaring at each other. The Potions Master had no doubt realized who the vampire was to his godson. Draco was walking very close to his godfather, though never touching him. The boy was wearing a mask of indifference, but he had to be nervous.

They passed many portraits, but the inhabitants were all sleeping. Edgar had done his job well.

"Master Devlon," Harry spoke when they reached one of the bigger portraits. "Master Devlon, please wake up." The wizard in the painting was sitting on a finely carved wooden chair. He was dressed in dark purple robes, which flowed to the ground, together with his long, white beard. His face was peaceful. Wrinkles of laughter showed at the man's face.

Harry poked the painting at the wizard's hand. But Master Devlon showed no signs of waking up. Harry sighed.

"Blood Oath," he spoke to the raven sitting at the feet of the chair. The bird gave no indication of hearing the password, but the painting swung open like a door. Harry held it and gestured his guests for them to go in.

Corran, who had stayed at Gillianor's shoulder, now took flight. She was probably looking for a perch.

When Draco entered the room, his eyes widened and he froze. The room looked just like a sitting room of a Lord. But Draco guessed it to be the sitting room of Salazar Slytherin. Green carpets with silver embroidering lay on the dark wooden floor. Dark curtains hung on the walls and a few torches were lit. A couch and a few chairs surrounded a lit fireplace. Small tables and chairs were put in the corners. The room divided in two hallways at the end.

"Sit down," Potter spoke and successfully brought him back to reality. Gillianor plopped down on one of the chairs and crossed his arms arrogantly. Draco sat down on the couch, watching him.

"Where'd you get the ring?" Gillianor repeated himself. Potter frowned again and went to stand by the window. He looked at the half moon. He stayed silent.

"Well?" Gillianor continued. "Do you have any idea how much that ring is worth, if it's real?" Potter sighed.

"You are quite impatient, Gillianor. I guess it can't be avoided. I made that ring on Corran's claw." Gillianor sprung up, insulted.

"Liar! Our Lord made that ring almost a thousand years ago! A little human like you wouldn't know that of course." Silence fell. Draco didn't know why, but he felt his Sire had insulted Harry. Was comparing a vampire to a human very wrong?

"Really, Gillianor. Are my glamours that good? No, Draco recognized me, even though you didn't. Is your vampire's sense that weak? No, you must be plain stupid." Potter turned around and his glamours fell.

The boy before Draco wasn't suddenly very human anymore. He was a few inches taller than Harry Potter had been and stood straighter than Potter ever had before. His face had much sharper features and the glasses had gone, leaving two very cold green eyes. Harry Potter's eyes had always been full of emotion. The biggest change was his hair, though. It was much longer.

"Oh, so _now_ you recognize me? Very convincing," Potter – no, not Potter – snapped at Draco's Sire. Draco noticed his godfather suck in a large breath.

"Impossible," he breathed. Draco glanced at his godfather's white face.

"My Lord! I did not mean to insult you! Please forgive me. I stand no chance against your powers," Gillianor pleaded.

Harry sighed and closed his eyes. A vampire on his knees, begging for mercy. How degrading. This man had nothing to teach Draco.

"Gillianor, I have limited time right now. Sit down on your chair and let us talk about why I called you here." Gillianor nodded gratefully – oh, his punishment would come – and moved to sit on his chair.

Harry opened his eyes and turned to his other two guests. Only to find a very concerned student looking at his very pale-faced teacher. Snape was staring at Harry with wide eyes. The man was leaning heavily on the couch, his breathing shallow.

"Master Snape?" Harry inquired. The professor met his eyes, but paled even more. "Master Snape, are you ill?" A chuckle came from the shadows. Harry glared at his guard.

"Edgar, please make sure Master Snape is well." Edgar stepped out of the shadows, surprising Draco. The blue-eyed vampire smirked slightly.

"There is nothing wrong with his health, my Lord. The man is simply disturbed by your appearance." Harry shot him a look.

"'disturbed by my appearance'?" he repeated, puzzled. "I am afraid I do not understand."

"Y-you look like - " Snape wheezed out. He opened his mouth, only to close it again.

"'Salazar Slytherin'" Edgar finished with a smile. Harry couldn't help but smile and chuckle either. The Head of his House stared at him in horror. Draco looked at them in confusion.

Harry quickly rid himself of his smile and stepped forward to Snape. "Please sit down," he told him. Snape sat down beside Draco. "What you must understand," he started, "is that vampires live very long lives. We do not die of age, only of battles. I _am_ Salazar Slytherin. I was turned into a vampire, after twenty years of living in Hogwarts with the other Founders. It was the reason I left," Harry explained.

"You must be a thousand years old!" Draco exclaimed in amazement. Edgar smirked.

"If the records are correct, Lord Slytherin would be one of the oldest vampires on the world." Harry looked at him. Edgar looked proud. Technically, Edgar was Harry's Sire, but he had never been able to act as such. Harry knew it bothered his friend. They had talked about it the night 15-year-old Harry Potter had left their home by a backlash of his magic.

"But the records are never correct," Harry stated. "Many old vampires decide to disappear and live their life quietly, out of the spotlights. They are often suspected as dead and registered that way."

"You were, too." Gillianor said, with venom in his voice.

"I was, too." Harry answered. Why was Gillianor angry with him? "Now, let's start, shall we?" He sat in the seat opposite of the fireplace, between Gillianor and the now calm Potions Master. Edgar went to stand beside him, disregarding the last chair.

"The reason I called you all here, is the matter of Draco Malfoy's –" Draco flinched. "Draco's Schooling." Edgar saw the confused gazes and met them.

"Every newly turned vampire needs to be taught the ways of the vampires, how to feed, politics, how to live under humans. That is Schooling," he told them. Harry nodded.

"Yes, well Schooling is often left to the Sire of that vampire. Imagine my surprise when I found a recently turned Draco in this school without a Sire nearby."

All heads turned to Gillianor. Said man shook his head feverishly. He wore a nervous smile and held his hands in the air.

"I didn't know," he said.

"How can you not know you turned someone?" Severus Snape spat. Harry had never known the man could sound so angry and still so controlled. "Surely you noticed the screaming!"

Next to Harry, Edgar's hand twitched and he flinched.

"That's not what I meant," Gillianor protested. "I didn't know I had to teach the kid!"

"It is the same as human parents. When one decides to have a child, they should be prepared to care for it." Edgar shot back with a very emotionless tone.

"But I didn't know. How could I have done anything, if I didn't know?"

"There's the Bond between Sire and Childe. You would have known the problems your Childe had with the changes as a vampire! You would have known your Childe was in pain. You should have gone for him, but you ignored him!"

"I didn't know anything about a bond! And the Schooling was new for me too!" Edgar growled at Gillianor, but Harry held up a hand to stop him from moving.

"He knows. He does!" Edgar spoke low, but Harry heard him.

"Every vampire deserves a second chance, whether he knew about it or not. Gillianor, are you prepared to-"

"I will _not_ let my godson near that monster!" Severus brought in. "That man enjoys bringing others pain!"

"I am afraid, Master Snape, that you have no influence in this. Your human status as a godfather does not matter to the Vampire Laws."

Severus stared at Harry, the one who had spoken. He was looking for a lie. Harry carefully kept his face straight, knowing he could not choose a side.

"Draco… does have a choice, doesn't he?" the Potions Master asked, unsure of the laws.

"It is unusual, but possible," Harry answered. "Do you have any objections to being taught under Gillianor?" he asked Draco. Everyone's attention was brought on the boy. He swallowed.

Edgar's hand twitched again.

"I… would like to be taught the ways of my new race." He spoke slowly, as if carefully selecting his words. Harry nodded approvingly. Those were the words he needed.

"Gillianor, are you willing to care for Draco, your Childe, and teach him-"

"I'm sorry. I do not have the time to teach the kid." Harry suppressed a growl at Gillianor, but Edgar decided he had been silent long enough.

"It is your responsibility – " he began.

"My mate and I –" Gillianor protested.

"Your mate has nothing to do with this. You were the one that brought a youngling in our society. Not your mate," Harry cut the both of them off.

"No!" Gillianor screamed. "Don't you get it? I don't want him near me!"

Draco gasped, reeling back in the couch, and clutched his chest. In a flash Edgar was next to him, holding his trembling body down.

"Calm down, Draco!" he commanded. But the boy ignored him and kept struggling, gasping in pain. Severus grabbed his shoulder, but he was thrown back in the wall.

"He's not responding!" Edgar yelled at his Lord. Harry grabbed Gillianor and held him above the ground.

"Stop severing the Bond! You are ripping his soul apart!" he growled.

"I'm not –"

Draco went slack. Edgar let him go and he tried to sit up. But his body was too heavy. "Severus," he croaked. His godfather scrambled up and went to his side. "What happened?" Draco looked at the blood on his godfather's face, alarmed. "Did I do that?"

Severus shook his head. "It's not my blood." He looked over to Harry.

Harry licked his blood spattered claws. "Oops," the older vampire said, meeting Draco's eyes, from above Gillianor's body. "I guess this makes me responsible for your Schooling."


End file.
